Manufacture of peroxid of potassium.



PATENTED SEPT. 8, 1908.

M U Nv S S A T O w MD ETI- X .U m JP P :0 E R U T G A U ,N. A M 0 8 9 79 8 0 N APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, 1907.

, WMEEK nate ofpotash, and t GEORGE FRANQOIS JAUBERT, OF PARIS},F/RANCE.

MANUFACTURE or 'rnnoxm F Po'rAssmM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Sept. e, 1908.

Application filed May 16, 1907. .Serial No. 373,995.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that n I, GEORGE Fnau'oors JAUBERT, a citizen of theRepublic of Swit zerland, residing at Paris, France, 155 BoulevardMalesherbes,havefinvented certain new and useful Improvements in theManufacture of Peroxid of Potassium or Mixtures Containing the Same; andI do hereby deolare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an im roved process for the preparation ofperoxic of potassium or of a mixture rich in peroxid of potassium, inpowder or inthe form of ag glomerates.

Peroxid of potassium is ordinarily obtained byheatingmetallie potassiumin acurrent of air; the potassium ignites and becomes converted intoperoxid of the composition K,(),. This process presents the grave defectof necessitating the employment of metallic potassium, and as thiselement can only be prepared in small quantities and in a costly manner,the rice of the peroxid of potassium required or certain industries isvery high. It is known that when alloys of potassiumwith other metalssuch as lead, tin, sodium, etc., are burned, these alloys peroxidize inburning, the first two furnishing re spectively anhydrous lumbate, andstanl ie latter the trioxid N a0 The present invention is difierentiatedfrom the above mentioned processes in that the peroxidizing goes onslowly and without ignition,-

and it consists particularly in mo erately heating a otassium alloy,- asdistinguished from meta lic otassium, and at the same time limiting t 0supply of oxygen to the allo thereby effecting the slow abso tion of t eoxygen, and the peroxidizing o the.

potassium, withouti nition.

- The processmay e carried into practice in the following manner, and bymeans of the instrumentalities illustrated in the drawing.

An iron tube A is provided with mica windows B and furnished with an airmeterC at each extremity for enabling the quantity of air'absorbed inthe reactions to be controlled. This tube may be heated by means of theburners E, or by any other appropriate means. Within the tube an ironvessel or basket D is arranged, and at one end the process forming thesubject of the I thermometer F. Into this vessel D is placed.

for example an alloy of lead with a proportion of to of potassiumobtained by the electrolysis of melted ohlorid of potassium with a leadcathode. A very slow cur rent of dry and decarbonated air is caused topass through the tube containing the vessel, a moderate heat, say 150 to200 C. be ng a plied,. the progress of the reaction being oiiservedthrough the mica windows, great care being taken that the mass does notcatch fire at any time. The air entering the tube is partly absorbed bythe reaction and the quantity of air absorbed decreases in proportion asthe operation progresses, this being ascertained by consulting themeters ar ranged at the inlet and the outlet of the tube. After acertaintime, air is only absorbed slowly; the tempcraturr-x is then raised, butit should not exceed 300 or 350 C. when air is no longer absorbed, theoperation is terminated, and cooling is allowed to talze place. Thevessel then contains lead, or oxid of lead collected in large iecesor'ingranulated powder and pulveru ent peroxid ol' potassiuin which isreadily separated by sifting. The peroxid thus obtained presents theform of a yellow powder which is extremely hygroscopic and difficult tohandle.

In order to render possible the handling of this powder, it need only becompressed into any desired form without any bmding niedium, and in thismanner cartridges or cakes of sufiicient owe'r of resistance towithstand subsequent andling are obtained. The alby of potassium andlead may be replaced by analloy of potassium and tin, or by any otheralloy rich in potassium. .VVhen alloys very rich in otasslum, such asthose having the formula aK and N aK are utilized, it IS preferable toperoxidize the entire alloy, that .1s, 1n the instance mentioned, boththe sodium and the potassium, under the same donditions of lowtemperature and limited so 1y of oxygen.

e reaction takes place in accordance with" the formula We thus obtain amixture of peroxid of potassium and peroxid of sodluin which may beseparated one from another by sifting, as re- I tained having theformulltKNao So far as I am aware, it is broadly new to .form potassiumperoxid from otassium alloyed with other metals, by mo erately heatingthe potassium alloy in the presence of a limited quantity of oxygen,thereby eflectmg the slow absorption of the oxygen w'ithout ignition andthe consequent peroxidizing of substantially the'potassium alone, andthe b oad claims hereto a pended-should have a correspondingly broainterpretation.

at I claim is:

1. The'method of manufacturing peroxid ,of potassium, which consists insubjecting a potassium alloy to the action of heat in the presence ofoxygen and so proportioning the temperature employed to the amount ofoxygen supplied as to cause the potassium to absorb the oxygenslowlywithout ignition and without com ination of the potassium peroxidwith the other metal contained in the alloy; substantially as described.

2. The method of manufacturing peroxid":

of potassium, which consists in lacing a potassium alloy in an inclosingc amber and heating the chamber externally while passing through it aslow current of air, and so limiting-the temperature and air supply asto cause the potassium to absorb a considerable part of the oxygen ofthe air without ignition and without combination of the potassiumperoxid with the other metal contained in the alloy; substantially asdescribed.

3. The method of manufacturing peroxid of potassium, which consists inlacing a p'otassium alloy in an inclosing chamber and heating thechamber externally to a temperature not to exceed 350 centigrade, whilepassing through said chamber a slow current of air, thereby effectingthe slow ab sor tion of aconsiderable part of the oxygen of t e airwithout ignition and without combination oi the potassiumperoxid withthe other metal contained in the alloy; substantially as described. l

I 4. The method of manufacturing peroxid of potassium, which consists inplacing a potassium alloy in an inclosing chamber and heating thechamber externally to a temperature not to exceed 350 centl rade, whilepassing through said chamber a s ow current of dry and decarbonated air,thereby effecting the slow absor tion of a considerable part of theoxygen 0 the air without ignition and without combination of thepotassiumperoxid with the other metal contained in the alloy;substantially as described.

5. The method of manufacturing peroxid of potassium, which consists inplacing a potassium alloy in an inclosing chamber, heating the chamberexternally to a temperature of about 150 to 200 ce air, and increasingthe temperature, but not to exceed 350 centigrade, as the absorption ofthe air decreases; substantially as de-' scribed. 1

6. The method of manufacturi-n peroxid ,of potassium, which consists inp acing an alloy of potassium in "an inclosing chamber, heating thechamber externallyto a temperature of about 150 to 200 centigrade,passing through said chamber a slow current of dry anddecarbonated air,increasing the temperature, but not to exceed 350jcentigrade, as theabsorption of air decreases,

separating the potassium peroxid thus obtained and compressing it intocartridges or I cakes without any bind ngmedium ,*substan tially asdescribed 7. The method of manufacturin peroxid of potassium, whichconsists in sub ecting an alloy of potassium and sodium rich inpotassium to the action of heat in the presence of oxygen and soproportioning the temperature employed to the amount of oxygen suppliedas to cause the to absorb the oxygen s owly without ignition;substantially as described In testimony whereofl afiix my signature, inpresence oftwo witnesses;

- GEORGE FRANQOIS JAUBERT. Witnesses:

H. O. Ooxn, HENRY SonwAB.

ntigrade, while passmg throughsaid chamber a slow current of otassiumand sodium

